Tag Archives: boston

Patriots Q&A

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As I was browsing through some Patriots news on the Internet today I came across some common questions that Patriots fans were wondering. I’m sure a lot of you are asking the same questions so I’m going to give you my answers.

1. Toughest remaining game for the Patriots and what will their final record be?

This has to be the Denver game. Yes, I still see the Patriots winning this game, as I also see them beating Miami, Indy, and Buffalo all at home, and also beating the dismal Redskins in Washington D.C. The reason I see the Broncos giving the Patriots the hardest time is because of one person. Tim Tebow. His record shows he has what it takes to win. They also have a defense that keeps them in games and allows Tebow to put victories away down the stretch. Regardless, I see the Patriots at 13-3 with a first round bye.

2. The third receiver spot and its importance to the team.

I don’t see the Patriots having a set third receiver down the stretch. It looks like it will be a rotation of Ochocinco, newcomer Tiquan Underwood, and Matthew Slater might get a few shots at the deep ball. I was hoping Taylor Price would be that guy but I just haven’t seen Bellichick show confidence in him quite yet.  That being said, the third receiver spot isn’t as important to this team as most others simply because of how great their tight ends are. They line Gronkowski and Hernandez out wide all the time and it has paid off. I expect to see it continue.

3. Julian Edelman the cornerback.

Julian Edelman has done very well defensively so far. He hasn’t let the team down by getting beat for a big pass when he’s on the field. The best thing I have seen so far from Edelman is his tackling. He’s had a few great tackles defensively and has continued that on special teams. I don’t see him being a starting corner for them this year but he will get his reps.

4. Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung and the overall state of the secondary.

With Ras I. Dowling on Injured Reserve, and Leigh Bodden being cut I see Chung and McCourty as a big part of this secondary right now. Even if they are out there I don’t see this secondary holding up against a Packers or Saints passing attack, but without them I don’t see any hope unless Andre Carter can get to the QB another 4 times per game. The Pats might sit Chung and McCourty this week only because they are playing the Colts, but expect them back by week 14 as they both said they were feeling good and are ready to go

  5. Deep thoughts on the defense — is it going to be good enough in the playoffs?

The question is do I think the Patriots defense is good ENOUGH in the playoffs.  My answer is yes. The reason being, the best defense is a good offense. The Patriots offense is good enough to make up for a less than mediocre defense.

Patriots Weekly Preview

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The Patriots will take on the Colts this weekend in Foxboro. The Colts come in at 0-11 but don’t be the one to tell Bill Belichick that. (Ask the blonde chick at Wednesday’s press conference) Belichick refuses to let his players give into the mentality that they can just walk in and stomp all over the Colts just because of their dismal record. Belichick coached teams are trained to be that way. The Patriots (8-3) are 21-point favorites, which is the biggest point spread in the NFL this year. The only Patriots players that missed practice Thursday were Sebastian Vollmer, and Brandon Spikes. There were several players limited in practice such as Chad Ochocinco, Matt Light, and Devin McCourty. The Patriots defense is beginning to gain more confidence and hopefully they can take this week to beat up on the inexperienced Dan Orlovsky, who will be replacing Curtis Painter under center for the Colts this week. The Patriots schedule the remaining of the season is one of the easiest in the NFL and they should look to continue preparing this defense for a playoff run. There’s no way the Pat’s let this one slip away.

Prediction: Patriots 45 Colts 10

Video Match-Up

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For this week’s Video Match-Up we have two amazing one handed snags from the college football world. The first is Marshall University’s Aaron Dobson and the second is Evan Spencer from Ohio State. Who ya got?

If you have any tips on what next week’s Video Match-Up should be, email your ideas to bsb.tips@gmail.com. Last week’s winner was Matt Duchene and his absolute diddle vs. the Penguins.

Aaron Dobson – Marshall University

 

Evan Spencer – Ohio State

 

 

A Fall for the Ages

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Since when is it already December? I could of sworn we had a beach day a little over a week ago. Regardless, it’s been one wild fall season so far in sports, especially in Boston.

We should probably get the most drawn out news out of the way, so let’s start with the NBA. One of the biggest factors in this notion of a unique fall has to be the fact that we just began the month of December and there hasn’t been any basketball (professional) yet. Not to mention we still have to wait til the end of the month to see the Celts hit the parquet. Better late than never.

The Red Sox put us through a world of shame back in September. Since the fallout, constant bad news followed. A poor club house, unhappy players, losing Theo, Tito, and Heidi (most importantly Heidi). We could blame the Red Sox for possibly one of the most incredibly depressing starts to fall season in Boston. At least the team’s recent headlines have them moving in the right direction.

With all this chatter, it was an unusually difficult transition into Pats season. We watched as a weary Patriots team showed signs of slipping, despite Brady having, once again, a career season at the helm. It’s crazy that we’ve already reached Week 13, but it’s great to see the team entering the home stretch with continuous improvement and constant dominance from the QB spot.

Finally we get to our reigning Stanley Cup Champs. After a slow start, the Bruins managed to shake off the hangover and get back to work. The month of November was good to hockey fans in Boston. The B’s finished off the month 12-1, gaining points in each of their 13 games, an incredible feat.

With the way things started off, it looked like we were in for a lengthy autumn in Boston. Everything seemed to be working against us. But of course, title town prevailed. With the closing of a memorable fall on the horizon and winter quickly approaching, Boston fans can’t help but smile. The ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future gave Stern a visit, leaving us with an NBA season for our Celtics. The Red Sox have pushed their demons aside and began to focus on greener pastures circa April 2012. And finally the two teams currently in season are representing Boston with pride as they sit atop their respective divisions. Smile sports fans. It’s a good time to be from Boston.

Boston is a Hockey Town

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It’s been four days since a CBA agreement has “tentatively” been reached, less than a month from a possible opening day (nearly 2 months behind schedule), and already the NHL has been put on the back burner. Don’t get me wrong, I grew up playing basketball but come from a hockey family, so I try to be as impartial as possible. A few days off and it feels like everyone has forgotten about the Bruins. Maybe it’s just the excitement of the NBA’s sudden rise from the grave, but we can’t forget where the Bruin’s stand. The B’s look to cap off an incredible month of November (11-1) tonight against the Leafs. A win will help them secure first place in the Northeast Division, pushing ahead of Toronto. The B’s have already won twice against the Leafs in the early season, so you can expect them to come out swinging. I’m confident this will be a game the Bruins won’t allow themselves to lose. Not only is first place on the line, but the B’s want to continue to prove that Boston is still a hockey town.

11′ Colts vs. 08′ Pats

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There is a reason the Colts are 0-11 this season and it is not all because Peyton Manning got injured. I’m not saying they are a playoff team without him, but they are not an 0-11 team. Tom Brady went down week one of the 2008 season and the Patriots finished 11-5. When you lose you’re All-Pro QB for the full season you are forced to change your offense, not keep it the same as the Colts have this year. The Colts pass/rush ratio is 32.9/22.5. A difference of over 10 more passes than rushes per game. Why would you revolve your team’s offense around the passing game with a quarterback you know can’t throw the ball? In 2008 when Brady got injured the Patriots pass/rush ratio was 33.3/32.1. A difference of just over 1 more passes than rushes each game. When you lose your star quarterback you must change your offense around your other strengths. The Patriots used a running tandem of Sammy Morris, Green-Ellis, Faulk, and LaMont Jordan. You can’t tell me that’s a better tandem than Joseph Addai, Donald Brown, and Delone Carter. We all know the Patriots as a passing team, but in 2008 they were forced to change their strategy and the results showed. When Jim Caldwell gets fired at the end of this season everyone will be saying it was undeserved because Manning was injured, and that certainly is not the case.

NFL Power Rankings – Week 13

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1. Packers (11-0) – Their record speaks for itself.

2. Patriots (8-3) – Their offense is still great and the defense is improving each week.

3. Ravens (8-3) – They shut down the 49ers on Thanksgiving without Ray Lewis. They’ll be even better when he’s back.

4. Saints (8-3) – 49 points against the Giants defense is no fluke.

5. Steelers (8-3) – Big Ben looks good and they’re defense is strong as always.

6. 49ers (9-2) – They hung in there with the Ravens. Their shaky offense is why they are here.

7. Cowboys (7-4) – If they played up to their talent level they could be in the top 5.

8. Lions (7-4) – They still have Megatron and a solid defense. If they can survive without Suh the next two weeks they should make the playoffs.

9. Giants (6-5) – Similar to the Cowboys. Still have a great pass rush and a solid offense.

10. Falcons (7-4) – Their offense is getting better.

11. Raiders (7-4) – Palmer looks great and Bush has helped them miss McFadden a little less.

12. Jets (6-5) – They still have Rex Ryan, but to counter that they also still have Mark Sanchez.

13. Bengals (7-4) – The rookie combination on offense continues to shine, the defense looks solid also. Unfortunately they have to play the Ravens and Steelers twice each season.

14. Broncos (6-5) – One name is all you need to know. Tim Tebow, he’s a winner.

15. Bears (7-4) – We saw what Caleb Hanie could do. It reflects in this weeks ranking.

16. Texans (7-4) – Now officially the worst 7-4 team in the league. Who is the QB in Houston again?

17. Titans (6-5) – If Chris Johnson can play like he did last week, they have a solid playoff shot.

18. Eagles (4-7) – The best 4-7 dream team in NFL history.

19. Chargers (4-7) – My bet is Norv Turner won’t be living in San Diego next season.

20. Redskins (4-7) – Teams don’t make the playoffs with quarterbacks like John Beck and Rex Grossman.

21. Bills (5-6) – They have completely fallen apart and have basically no shot at the playoffs.

22. Buccaneers (4-7) – Josh Freeman has had an off year, and so has a lot of the team.

23. Seahawks (4-7) – Similar to the Washington situation, you usually don’t make the playoffs with QB’s like Jackson and Whitehurst.

24. Dolphins (3-8) – They look like they are turning around, its a little too late though.

25. Cardinals (4-7) – Same as many other teams in the NFL, Kevin Kolb doesn’t look like the solution.

26. Panthers (3-8) – Imagine if they didn’t have Cam Newton?

27. Vikings (2-9) – Hey at least they’ll probably have a top 5 pick.

28. Browns (4-7) – Their offense is just terrible.

29. Jaguars (3-8) – I’ve been surprised Jack Del Rio lasted this long.

30. Rams (2-9) – What a disappointing year for Sam Bradford.

31. Chiefs (4-7) – Tyler Palko just isn’t gonna cut it.

32. Colts (0-11) – Doesn’t get any worse.

Happy Valentine’s Day

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Two months ago today, the Red Sox officially said their goodbyes to Tito with a less than forgiving sendoff. With Ben Cherington stepping into Theo’s spot, Red Sox Nation sat by idly, waiting for his first move to be made. Shortly after a weekend of thanks that all Boston fans would approve, the Red Sox created their own headlines. Rumors surfaced from sources close to the situation late Tuesday night that Bobby Valentine would take the helm at Fenway as the Red Sox 45th manager.

With two months of built up anticipation for this20111130-100441.jpg very moment, it could have only been expected that Red Sox Nation would let their voices be heard about their feelings for the newly selected manager. From MLB analysts around the country to local sports figures, the opinions seem to be split down the middle. They either love it or hate it, nothing in between. Personally, I think it’s a good move. Granted, it may be due to the fact that everything we’ve heard about the Sox for the past 3 months has made me want to slit my wrist, so some positive news is a bit uplifting, but I think Valentine has potential. He’s a guy that knows baseball, plain and simple. He knows how to prep a team and come out on top. I mean as recent as last year he was in consideration for several other managerial spots with the Marlins and Orioles before staying on as an ESPN analyst, so he must be doing something right. He just wanted to hold off until a real team offered him a job. Sorry Nons. Seriously though, the Sox need this kind of boost, especially after our recent collapse. I think it’s definitely going to bring new life to the club. The Red Sox are expected to officially announce the move sometime Thursday.